The invention relates generally to pet and infant care products and, more particularly to a device that plays messages at selected time intervals to comfort a pet or infant during an owner""s or a parent""s absence.
The ability for a device to playback at designated intervals a message recorded by a pet owner is valuable in a variety of situations. For example, due to the hectic lives that most people live nowadays, a pet owner is away from his/her pet several hours a day. Such a device allows a pet owner to provide verbal messages for his/her pet while the owner is away at work or out for an extended period each day regardless of whether the pet is confined outdoors or indoors. A loving message, positive words spoken in the familiar voice of the pet owner at intervals of each day can contribute to a happy pet life.
There are many times when a pet gets ill, especially as they get older. Such circumstances may require an overnight stay, or a stay of many nights, at a pet hospital. Pet owners will sometimes leave familiar clothing with the scent of the pet owner in such situations to comfort the pet. A device that provides interval playbacks of verbal messages to the pet as she or he is recuperating provides a further and more significant reminder of the loving support of the owner. As a result, the pet will not feel abandoned which will contribute to a speedier recovery and the pet owner will also feel a sense of relief as they will have the satisfaction of knowing that their pet knows she or he is loved.
Many times pets have to be boarded at a pet facility or with a friend as a family goes out of town on vacation or a pet owner goes out of town on business, etc. A device that enables pet owners to provide verbal messages for their pets makes the pets more comfortable and less anxious as they reside in an unfamiliar setting away from home. Such a device also enables the pet owners to feel at ease with knowing that they are, in effect, making contact with the pet as they are away. This allows the pet owners to have less feelings of anxiety and more enjoyment or productivity during their vacation or business outing.
There are many similar situations where a parent is forced to be away from his or her infant child. A device that allows playback of messages from the parent during the parent""s absence also provides both the parent and infant with comfort.
While a variety of products have been offered to provide recorded messages related to pet care, none of these provide comforting messages played back to a pet or an infant at intervals for extended periods of time. For example, a device marketed as the IDECLARE talking pet tag by the MerMax company of Marina Del Ray, Calif., is a recording device enclosed in a tag that is connected to a pet""s collar. The owner may record information on the device including the owner""s name, address and telephone number. The tag features a clearly marked playback button so that an individual may play back the information upon finding the lost pet. This device does not feature a timer for interval playback. Indeed, the only way to activate the playback feature of the device is to press the playback button.
The DELUXE DELIDOME product, sold by Our Pets, Inc., is a device that dispenses balls filled with cat food or other cat treats at predetermined time intervals. The device may be configured to play back a message recorded by the owner to call the cat when each food ball is released. The device only holds a limited number of food balls. As a result, the message playback occurs only a limited number of times (until the device runs out of food balls). For example, if the device only contains eight food balls, the message is only played back eight times.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a device that plays back recorded messages from an owner or parent to comfort a pet or an infant.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a device that plays back recorded messages at selected time intervals.
It is still a further object of the present invention to provide a device that plays back recorded messages at selected time intervals that is portable.
These and other objects of the invention will be apparent from the remaining portion of the specification.
The present invention is directed to a device for recording and playing back at selected time intervals a comforting message for a listener such as a pet or infant. The device includes a housing within which is positioned integrated circuit chips for recording and playing back the comforting message. A speaker and microphone are in communication with a voice chip. A microprocessor chip has the timer or clock programmed therein. A comforting message spoken by a pet owner or parent is recorded onto the voice chip via the microphone. The timer or clock function of the microprocessor chip signals the voice chip so that the comforting message is played back at a selected time interval through the speaker.
The device includes a plurality of indicator lights, each of which corresponds to time interval. A switch for selecting a time interval causes the indicator light corresponding to the selected time interval to illuminate. Each time the switch is pressed, the selected time interval, and therefore the illuminated indicator light, changes. The device may alternatively feature a simple slide switch, rotating switch and/or a digital display for indicating the selected time interval.
The device may include a recording and playback system for emergency information including the pet owner""s name, address, telephone number, etc.
For a more complete understanding of the nature and scope of the invention, reference may now be had to the following detailed description of embodiments thereof taken in conjunction with the appended claims and accompanying drawings.